Matthew Daniel Lynch Jr.^{[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]} (February 7, 1926 – June 30, 1978) was an American professional baseball player. He played briefly in Major League Baseball, for the Chicago Cubs in 1948.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Lynch was a paratrooper in the United States Army during World War II.^[4] After the war, he attended Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he played both baseball and basketball.^[4] The 1947 edition of The Rotunda, SMU's yearbook, includes a baseball team photo with both Lynch and future Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker.^[5]

Lynch's father, who shared the same name, had played in the minor leagues for a decade as a middle infielder.^[6][7] The younger Lynch was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1948,^[8] and played 91 games for the minor league Waco Pirates.^[9] However, in September 1948, Lynch was declared a free agent after Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler ruled that the Pirates had hired the elder Lynch as a scout as a way to hide a bonus payment.^[10] Lynch was then signed by the Chicago Cubs on September 7,^[8] and married on September 8.^[11]

A week after being signed, Lynch played in Major League Baseball for the Cubs, appearing in seven games through the end of the 1948 season;^[8] one as a second baseman, one as a pinch runner, and five as a pinch hitter.^[12] In seven major league at bats, he had two hits, including a home run off of Johnny Sain,^[13] for a .286 batting average and a .714 slugging percentage.^[8] Lynch did not return to the major leagues, but he played in the minor leagues through 1954, including over 300 games at the Triple-A level.^[9]

After retiring from baseball, Lynch became a lawyer in Texas.^{[citation needed]} He died in an automobile accident in June 1978 in Plano, Texas.^{[citation needed]}